Safe
by potter's0princess
Summary: Well, you're just gonna have to read this Maurader's fanfic. It's JamesLily of course!
1. Tarentellegra

**A/N¹: This is my second fanfic and the first one with more than one chapter, so I'm obviously still pretty new at writing, although I read it all of the time. Please send in your reviews, I love feedback, good, bad, or in between!**

**A/N²: I do not own any of the characters or settings, I just stick them in a plot… the real brilliant mind is that of J.K. Rowling…**

Marlene jumped on Lily's bed, bouncing Lily, who was rather grumpy after having such a short night's sleep, back awake. The Gryffindors had won a quidditch match last night against Slytherin and all of the students stayed up until three o'clock in the morning partying. Lily would have gone to bed earlier but Marlene had convinced her to enjoy herself once in her life.

Even though she was always pulling stunts like that, Marlene McKinnon was one of the best friends that Lily could ask for. If it wasn't for Marlene, Lily probably would not have met any of the other people at Hogwarts and would have spent all of her time on homework in the corner of a library. Lily met Marlene when they started at Hogwarts five years earlier, some boys, who would later call themselves, The Marauders set off a dung bomb on the Hogwarts Express. Marlene was barely able to breathe and was stuck in the back corner of the car. Lily ran to help her without remembering how shy and retiring she really was. Marlene remained grateful to Lily and they were friends from that day on.

Lily groaned as she looked at the clock in the nightstand. It was six in the morning on a Saturday. The sun had just begun to shine through the dorm room and Lily was not in the mood. She thrust her head back into her pillow and shut her eyes tightly trying to recall the dream she had just been enjoying. She remembered was that she was sitting by a tree with a cool breeze kissing her face when all of the sudden a tall silhouette appeared near her. He pulled her close to his face and—that was all that Lily could remember. She didn't even remember the face. Marlene laid her head on the pillow next to Lily's.

"Wake up Lily, it's Hogsmade," Marlene whispered. Lily jumped out of bed, quickly snatched out of her dreams. She had totally forgotten. Lily stifled a short yawn. There was no time to waste. She had to get ready for her date, Sturgis Podmore, a Hufflepuff who was a couple years ahead Lily and Marlene at Hogwarts. He was a nice enough boy, very polite and good looking, but for some reason that Lily just couldn't put her finger on, there was something odd about him. If Lily were to be honest with herself, she wouldn't be dating him. In fact the only reason she was in this predicament in the first place was because of James Potter.

The week before, Lily was trying to study in the library quietly with her other best friend Emmeline Vance, a Ravenclaw. When all of the sudden, James walked in, closely followed by his friend Sirius Black. Emmeline glanced at Lily with a look that was meant to remind her to keep her temper, something Lily felt unable to do every time James came around. Without permission from either girl, James pulled a third chair up to the table that Emmeline and Lily were studying at. Sirius walked over to a near-by bookshelf far enough away to not be connected with the trouble that he knew their meeting would end with, but close enough to witness all of the fun.

"So Evans," James whispered in Lily's ear, his mouth so close to her ear that she could feel his breath, "Hogsmade is coming up this weekend—" That was all Lily needed to hear. She turned and looked at James right in the face.

"You might as well give up now Potter, I wouldn't go with you if you were the last boy on earth." But James was not so easily deterred.

"Come on Evans," he brushed his hand through his jet black hair, a habit that drove Lily crazy, "go out with me, it's just one date."

Lily was not convinced. Ignoring James completely, she looked at her friend who was desperately trying to ignore the events taking place, "Em, let's go find some place a little quieter to study, what do you think?"

"Fine," Emmeline shrugged despondently. She knew that James did not take no for an answer, the day Lily and Emmeline had planned to study was completely shot and was now sure to end in tears and several curses and pranks. The girls stood up and walked out of the library with James and Sirius in quick pursuit.

"Evans! Evans, wait up!" James called after her, "Come on Evans, I'm not all that bad."

Lily continued to ignore James's calls until he cried out in his loudest voice, "LILY EVANS, IF YOU DON'T GO OUT WITH ME I'LL…" James looked around until he found an innocent victim, who just happened to be Sturgis Podmore, "… I'LL HEX PODMORE HERE!!!" At that threat, Lily turned around, she didn't really believe that James would provoke Podmore, who was a couple feet taller and several pounds heavier. However, she would not let James try and bluff his way into getting her.

"FINE," Lily yelled back and turned around, "GO AHEAD!" James's mouth dropped open, this was not like Lily, she would usually give in when it came to third parties being harmed for her sake. He used little threats on Snivellus to get help with homework all the time.

"OKAY, I'M GOING TO DO IT…" James regretted his next move, "TARANTELLEGRA!" James pointed his wand at Podmore who didn't know what had hit him. James ran, worried that when the curse wore off, Podmore would be after him. That is once he could walk in a straight line again. Lily stared in disbelief as poor Sturgis was dancing uncontrollably. Lily ran up to him, apologizing profusely. She was so embarrassed. And where was James, the cause of all the commotion, he slipped away without any excuse. Lily shouted the counter-curse and Sturgis collapsed on the ground, exhausted from all of the dancing, but James was already far away, not so much afraid of what Sturgis would do, more of Lily.

"Again, I'm sooo sorry, is there anything I can do to make it up to you?" Lily asked kindly as she ran up to Sturgis.

"Well, um, I might feel a little better if you… um, could accompany me to Hogsmade this weekend," Sturgis asked surprisingly throwing a smile in Lily's direction. Lily was sort of taken back, but how could she say no, the guy had just suffered a curse because she had provoked a crazy boy.

"Well… ummm, sure, that would be fine," Lily stuttered. She was so surprised. Sturgis was pretty popular and two years ahead of Lily.

"Okay then, I'll see you on Saturday," Sturgis stood on his shaky legs and walked away. Lily smiled as she walked away. This was the first argument that she had ever had with James that she ended up with a date.

**A/N: Okay done with the first chapter. Don't worry there will be more, that is… If you read and review.**


	2. Playful Banter?

**A/N: OK I got a review… thanks LavvyLav! But I need more, keep 'em coming!**

Lily looked at the clock again. It was seven thirty and the students would be leaving at eight. All she had left to do was put on some make-up and some cute earrings and she would be ready for her date. She began with her foundation. Marlene stood behind her, "So what do you think James will do to Sturgis on your date?" James had a history of threatening guys who showed interest in Lily, but Lily didn't let that stop her from dating. She would not have a spoiled little boy like James keep her from having a good time. She would not be controlled.

"He'd better not try anything if he knows what's good for him," Lily replied stone faced as she applied mascara carefully.

"Lily why don't you just go on a date with James and get it over with?" Marlene offered.

"And give up every moral I have ever stood for. No thank you," Lily replied. She was not in the habit of letting others win. Even if she wanted to, which she didn't, Lily could not give in to James's begging. She couldn't let the relationship grow because it was comfortable, it was safe. She already have enough change in her life without letting someone new in. Her sister Petunia had just found a boyfriend who ripped her away from all things magical. Vernon Dursley had ripped Petunia's soul out and Lily could never forgive him. Petunia and Lily had been best friends when they were little, but now Petunia regarded Lily and her world as a giant freak show.

Lily had finished getting ready and strode down the stairs into the common room. Sturgis was waiting outside of the Gryffindor rooms, but someone else was waiting at the bottom of the stairs. James sucked the oxygen out of the air, almost like when you are hit in the stomach with a ball. Lily looked radiant and he became suspicious.

"You look nice today, Evans," James approached, "special occasion?"

"Does every girl need a special occasion to look nice James, or just me," Lily retorted, "I can't simply look nice?"

"Well… of course you can… I mean…" James couldn't help himself, she looked too good, "Go to Hogsmade with me Lily?" At the sound of her first name Lily turned. James rarely called her Lily, unless he was really serious, but now—

"I'm sorry Potter, it's too late, I already have a date," Lily almost blushed, although she had no reason to be embarrassed.

"Well… who… I thought you…" James stuttered. He didn't actually think that Lily said all of the things she meant. Did she actually hate him, loathe him with all of her existence, would she really prefer the giant squid? It couldn't be true… all this time James had just thought it was playful banter, mere flirting devices. James had thought that he had made it clear that no one was to date Lily if they had wanted to remain alive. Who on earth would go up against all four Marauders, because, of course, his best friends would be right behind him to see that James won Lily's heart and no one else had a fighting chance.

"If you don't mind me asking," James seethed, "who's your date?"

Lily opened the door to the common room and the portrait swung away revealing a tired and annoyed looking Sturgis Podmore.

"PODMORE!" James shouted, "You're on a date with STURGIS PODMORE?"

"Yes James I am, he asked me very politely to accompany him to Hogsmade and I accepted him and if you try any funny business, you are going to have to deal with me and my friends." Lily shot him a look of warning as cold as ice. Then she turned her back to him, accepted Sturgis's arm and walked out of the hallway, leaving James with his thoughts and devices.

**A/N: Sorry this one's short, the next one will be longer, I hope… Review please!**


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